We are in crisis

02 January 2013 05:57

The New Year's Day fixtures have been played and the league table shows all three clubs relegated from the Premier League last season - Blackburn, Bolton and Wolves - situated in the bottom half of the table. Crisis time at Molineux

One of them is becoming the laughing stock of English football, another was left the best squad in the Championship by its recently departed manager and the third is, according to the present incumbent, in crisis.

The club in crisis are Wolves. That's not the view of its supporters, although I'm sure they can't be happy at successive defeats at home to Peterborough and Ipswich before yesterday's loss at Crystal Palace.

No, they are the words of manager Ståle Solbakken. I know football fans don't want to hear a load of bull and excuses from a manager but they do want positive words and 'We are in crisis' is hardly positive no matter which way you dress it up. "I have the responsibility for the results and we are in crisis now, no doubt about that," he said. "We have to have the belief things will get better."

His players are backing him, publicly at least, but Solbakken must remain the most likely Championship manager to next depart his club. That is unless our friend Shebby Singh, whose name was chanted yesterday at Hillsborough, makes another of his big mistakes.

It appears Mrs Desai doesn't want to upset the apple cart with them being on such a good run so caretaker boss Gary Bowyer, who isn't interested in the job, will carry on. Shebby won't be happy; he'd promised an appointment by yesterday.

That promised appointment might well have been the Legend in his own Mind Peter Taylor. Meanwhile, there's still no news of Paul Agnew and Derek Shaw following their trip to Pune but Venky's did send their fans a New year message that sounded more like them being told to turn up and get behind the players and management."

They have dipped their toe in the transfer market today and completed the permanent signing of Josh King from Manchester United.

As for Bolton, nothing's changed there. The new manager is pointing fingers at the referee for defeats just as did the previous man, this time wanting to know why they weren't awarded a penalty for a foul of David Ngog.

They even speak the same words. Yesterday, after losing at Leeds, Dougie Freedman said: "It was disappointing not to come away with the three points, as our performance MERITED the win."

At either end of the league, Cardiff are now seven points clear of Hull at the top. They won at Birmingham as Hull were held to a 0-0 draw at Blackpool. Down at the bottom of the league, Peterborough pulled out of the relegation places, beating bottom club Barnsley 2-1 in a controversial game at London Road. Bristol City are next to bottom and Sheffield Wednesday now return to take Peterborough's place after losing to us.

There's a week off now while we all enjoy the magic of the cup. That takes us to Barnsley where David Flitcroft is currently in charge following the dismissal of Keith Hill over Christmas. Flitcroft is being assisted by former Claret Micky Mellon who himself lost his job at Fleetwood recently.

The New Year's Day results and stats are below with the leading goalscorers, each club's disciplinary record (with Burnley still leading the way with yellow cards), the highest and lowest attendances and the next league fixtures.